My Gift, To You
by Koru Lunan
Summary: What begins as an already special morning for the doctor and his charming Vulcan slowly turns into something deeper as they reveal their gifts for one another.


Slowly his senses returned to him, bringing with them the feeling of warmth enveloping his body under the masses of blankets and a twinge of cinnamon biting his nostrils. First his senses, then his mind, and finally, his body. His mind replayed the memories what had happened the previous day, making him aware of the special occasion today. It wasn't until he opened his eyes, the light glaring down at him from the window above the headboard and making him wince, that the actual time of day revealed itself.

He sat up, moving the layers upon layers of blankets that sat atop him down to his feet, the chill nibbling at his hands as he did so. Moving off the bed, he slid his feet into his slippers and sought shelter from the cold in a bathrobe that laid neatly folded atop the end of the bed. There was a small tag on the back of the robe that had marked on it the letter "S" in a very familiar handwriting. The bathrobe was warm to the touch, moreso than a usual one. Slipping it on proved to be quite the satisfying relief from the usual chill that hung around in the early mornings.

"Mornin', Sunshine," a voice called to his side.

Spock turned to see Leonard leaning in the doorway, an odd look of contentment across his partner's features. "I would have been up earlier, Leonard, had you not shut off my alarm," Spock stated as he moved to the alarm clock to reset it.

"Like you need one," Leonard scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're always up before your alarm, anyways. Though I'm glad to see you let yourself sleep in today; even if it was only half an hour." Spock watched Leonard move across the room to grab his own bathrobe which sat near where Spock's was moments ago, and Leonard slipped it on. "Anyways, come downstairs. I have a present for you."

"One additional to this thermal robe?" Spock inquired, tying the robe's belt around his waist.

"This is just a bonus," Leonard looked Spock over with a soft smile and nodded his approval. The man reached up and brushed some of Spock's hair from his forehead with a grin. It seemed that seeing Spock's askewed morning hair would always make his partner smile, another welcome reminder of their personal comfort with one another. "The _real_ gift is downstairs."

Spock responded with a single raised brow. Leonard smirked and, lowering his own hand, requested Spock's own for a gentle _good morning_ kiss, the Vulcan welcoming the gesture.

"Don't worry, you'll like it," Leonard hummed, leading Spock by his hand down the stairs to the first floor of their home. Against the staircase sat a small loveseat, a side table, and two recliners that sat opposite a large fireplace, all the pieces visually pulled together by a long, short coffee table in the center of the room. "If you would kindly take a seat, _Mr. Spock_ ," Leonard brought up the old term, as he would once in awhile for emphasis or humor. He used his free hand to gesture to the loveseat. "I will return with your present."

Spock obliged and sat down, one hand still being held by the doctor's own. "You may need these," Leonard picked up a thin pair of knit gloves from the coffee table and delicately slipped them onto Spock's hands, one by one, making a soft trail of finger kisses leading to Spock's wrists. Spock felt a welcome spark run through his hands with each touch, and, desiring to return the action in a way he knew his partner would enjoy, he pulled the man's hand close. Spock gently brushed his lips across the man's knuckles, slowly moving to trail his lips down to his partner's fingertips. The sensitivity of the man's fingers to Spock's touch was something that stemmed from their long history of affectionate gesture, and was something Spock found both entertaining and gratifying.

"Now, now," Leonard gently scolded, clearing his throat slightly before he continued. "This is time for _your_ present, so you'll have to be patient."

Spock looked up at Leonard, a light flush notable across the doctor's face. With some hesitance, he pulled back from the kiss and let go of the man's hand, settling for reclining back onto the loveseat.

Leonard grinned and shook his head at the slight pout Spock had let slip. "What exactly did I do to deserve someone like you, Spock?" Leonard's thought intentionally slipped over their bond. Before Spock could respond, Leonard continued aloud, "I'll be right back." He turned around and walked through the opening beside the fireplace that led into their kitchen.

As Spock awaited Leonard's return, he silently opened the small drawer of the coffee table and took out a long, thin box that had been wrapped in a light blue bow. It was one that Spock had picked out to closest resemble the color of his partner's eyes. Over the years, Spock had found that feature to be something Leonard thoroughly enjoyed being complimented on, at least by Spock himself. When he heard a rustle from the kitchen, Spock quickly moved the box to the space between his thigh and the armrest of the couch, using a corner of his new robe to cover it.

"I hope you're hungry," Leonard commented as he stepped into the living room, a tray full of various dishes in his hands. He set the tray down onto the coffee table and carefully picked up one of two mugs whose contents were hidden by a layer of white creme.

"Careful, the mug's still cold," He warned as he carefully placed the mug in Spock's gloved hands. When he felt Spock had a good hold on it, he maneuvered his hands to fully cover Spock's own. The Vulcan looked up as Leonard bent down and managed to place a soft kiss square on the Vulcan's left eyebrow. Spock could feel his partner's lips tremble with laughter at the blunder. Leonard pulled away, covering his mouth in an attempt to stifle his chuckles.

Spock felt a warmth at Leonard's expression and laughter, such that it was hard to contain a chuckle and smirk of his own. For occasions for these, he could allow it. How the years had waned at his strict personal regimen, Spock could only attribute to Leonard. Around him, Spock's walls could ease down and he could relax in the comfort of himself and Leonard, knowing that he would accept him regardless of how Spock chose to express himself. It was a pleasant feeling, one he had searched long and far for in his life, only to find it closer than he had expected to look.

"So much for that plan," Leonard stated as he took a deep breath to control his laughter. He looked back to Spock, who had been watching him with amusement tracing his eyes. "There'll be more where that came from, don't worry. Now, drink up. Gotta tell me how you like it."

Spock carefully held his drink as the cushion beside him dipped very slightly under Leonard's weight. As the doctor eagerly awaited a response, he nodded as his gaze returned to his drink.

With the gentle stream of steam was escaping from around the white creme that overlaid the drink itself, Spock could feel the mug beginning to warm at once. It had been a decent find Jim had gifted to them when they moved in together, a mug that could quickly cool the contents of the drink without adding ice or having to wait for it to cool down. He stated it was a metaphor for his and Leonard's relationship, one that escaped Spock's understanding at the time. This particular mug had been able to keep the outer layer at room temperature until a few years ago. They contemplated replacing it, however it had become something sentimental for the two of them, thus they reserved it for special occasions such as these.

Taking in the scent of the drink, Spock gently pursed his lips and blew the steam away from the drink before bringing it up to his lips. He cautiously drew his lips closer to the mug's edge, carefully determining that the temperature would not be too cold on the rim in contrast to the warmth of the drink. Once secure in his assessment, he gently look in his first sip.

A rush of warm spices delicately flowed past his taste buds, tingling his tongue in the delightful taste. Once the drink had left, Spock's mouth immediately shouted a craving for more.

"This is quite the delicacy," Spock commented, breathing in the scent of the drink once again. "It seems you are well aware of my affinity for cinnamon, Leonard."

"I'd be a fool to not have," Leonard beamed, taking his own drink from the tray and blowing away the steam as Spock had. "I added some vanilla in there, too. Your ma recommended some of the Vulcan spices I used, but wasn't sure what your adult palate would like."

"Is that the reason for your increasingly sporadic inquiries on Vulcan spices?"

McCoy inclined his head slightly, flashing a sly grin as he eyed Spock. "Pretty sneaky, huh?"

"I will admit your persistence and patience on the subject is commendable," Spock took another long sip of his drink, appearing unperturbed.

"Commendable?" McCoy huffed, grinning, "I've been carefully spacing out these questions over the past six months so you wouldn't get an inkling of what I was planning! Took a lot of time to research, too. My patience was wearing thin."

Spock flashed his eyes back to the doctor, a smile tugging at the corners of Spock's lips. " _Patients_ are to be expected, as you are indeed a doctor and would have no business without them to fill your clinic."

"Oh my god," Leonard groaned into his drink, "Your jokes are the worst, you know," He rolled his eyes as he set his mug back down on the coffee table, using his pinky to pull a nearby coaster under his drink. He adjusted himself so that he sat sideways on the loveseat, one leg folded under him as he faced Spock. "Gotta admit though, that's why I love them," He leaned forward and, using his fingers on Spock's chin to keep the Vulcan's head in place, set a soft kiss onto Spock's cheek, "And you."

"Taluhk nash-veh k'dular, Ashayam," Spock met Leonard's eyes and reached up a still gloved hand to gently take Leonard's in his own. Even through the dense fabric of the glove, Spock could feel the static between their fingertips. The doctor's lips were so close, and their bond let Spock know of his desire to kiss, even if it had already been portrayed plainly on Leonard's face. Unable to resist, he leaned forward and brushed the man's lips against his own for a chaste prelude to what Spock desired to enact.

"Wait," Leonard spoke, pressing his hands against Spock's shoulders and pulling back enough to see Spock's face. "As much as I want this—and trust me, I _definitely_ do—we should finish this first," He looked down to the tray of food and then back up at Spock, "Don't want all this special food to get cold, after all."

Spock considered Leonard's stance and noted it would indeed be rude to let his important work go to waste. He relented with a nod, moving to set his mug down on the table, using his pinky to swipe the coaster into place beneath it. He carefully took off his gloves and set them beside the tray, thankful their their assistance but all the same glad to have his hands free once again.

Leonard reached over and handed Spock's plate to him, placing the utensils neatly on the side before reaching for his own dish. "This is a special dish called ' _Boerenomelet_ ', which is an old Dutch term for 'Farmer's Omelette', I'm told."

Spock raised a brow at his pronunciation of the word.

"No, I didn't say 'boring omelette', Spock," Leonard rolled his eyes. "That's how it's pronounced. Or, well, the best I can pronounce it, anyway." Spock watched with amusement as Leonard huffed and cut into his food, which he had placed to rest on his lap as he sat facing the Vulcan. Not the best manners, but it was better than straining his back over the low table. "I'm sure you'll find the taste far from 'boring'."

"Logically, your affinity for the culinary arts would prove that to be true," Spock commented as he cut a small piece from his own dish. This type of omelette was folded over and filled with various vegetables, notably tomatoes, green peppers, spinach, and an assortment of spices he could now safely assume were from Vulcan. He picked the cut piece up with his fork and brought it up to his lips, blowing on the still warm food before taking it in a bite.

A sensation of flavor overtook Spock as he ate. The spices had been added so perfectly to accompany the rich taste of the vegetables, one not overpowering the other but rather balancing out to a blissful harmony of flavor. The spices caught Spock off guard for a second. He was momentarily brought back to Vulcan at their rich taste, threads of his mother and her mixture of Terran and Vulcan cooking. There was a lingering sense of the planet Vulcan in and around him, but he knew his surroundings to undoubtedly be that of Earth. It was odd, but not uncomfortable. Never before had Spock encountered something that had brought the two in such harmony for him. Something as simple as a dish that could make Spock so calm. When his brows went up instinctively, he could immediately feel Leonard's eyes on him.

"Told ya so," Leonard hummed, content as he turned back to his own plate.

"Your culinary skills will never cease to surprise me in how much they can improve," Spock commented after a moment, able to see the red begin show in Leonard's cheeks. He took another bite of the dish, revelling in the taste once again.

"Only you would know how to make a compliment sound vaguely like an insult," Leonard stated as he shoved another piece of food into his mouth, unable to stifle his grin as they ate.

"Leonard," Spock stated, setting his dish back down on the tray after he was done.

The doctor looked up from his meal with a raised brow. "Something wrong with the food?"

"No," Spock folded his hands in his lap and looked over the empty plates and mugs, "Your gifts have far exceeded my expectations, and I am only eager to give you a gift of your own."

"Ah, well," Leonard grinned as he set down his own empty plate. "Can't really blame ya' for having no _patients_ , since you're not a doctor, after all." Before Spock could raise a brow, he continued, "So, what have ya' got in store for me? I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't just as eager to find out."

Spock carefully lifted up the corner of his robe to reveal the box he had carefully hidden earlier. He slid it out and turned it flat, holding it up before Leonard's face. "It is indeed a close match," he commented before placing it in Leonard's extended hand, "though the color of this ribbon can hardly compare to the true color you hold in your eyes, Leonard."

Spock watched with amusement as his partner brought up a hand to cover his burning cheeks. "Smooth talker," Leonard mumbled through his fingers. He cleared his throat in an attempt to send the growing heat from his cheeks back to join the rest of his body.

He undid the ribbon carefully and reached over to place it on Spock's head, apparently just to see if the Vulcan would keep it there. Much to Leonard's despondency, the ribbon fell off of it's own volition and landed on Spock's shoulder, where the Vulcan decided to let it remain.

"I swear, if this is a PADD, you'll find I'll have to borrow that thermal bathrobe more often than not," he teased as he placed his hands on the box's cover and pulled it off.

Spock saw Leonard stop in his tracks. The man reached down and picked up a old style picture frame from within the box, tracing two fingers along the picture inside the glass. "Spock, it's..."

"I requested the image specifically from when we last saw them, and an updated one as well, as we had no copies of our own," Spock moved closer and gently placed his hand on Leonard's arm. "Knowing your fondness for the traditional form of presenting images," Spock gestured to the walls that had been covered in a plethora of pictures from their lives. "I was able to obtain a physical copy of the photograph and make a frame for it."

Leonard covered his mouth with a hand, trying with some difficulty to keep his breath steady and eyes dry. "Thank you, Spock," his voice broke as he set the photo down on his lap and reached out, pulling his partner into a tight hug. Spock returned the gesture, embracing Leonard and slowly rubbing the man's back before they released. Spock moved his hand up to wipe a tear from the smiling man's eye.

"I'll be fine," Leonard chuckled, letting out a steadying breath. "Thank you. This is... it means a lot to me, to see her again. This was awhile ago, huh? I can't believe it's been so long."

"It has, however there is more to your present, Leonard," Spock offered as he slowly took the picture frame and held it in his own lap. He watched him gingerly fold back some of the tissue paper that was in the box, revealing a smaller, dark photograph that he knew the doctor had seen the likes of many times before.

Leonard grabbed Spock's wrist for support as he looked closer at the picture, a reaction Spock had anticipated from previous interactions. "You're kidding," he muttered before blinking hard and looking again to see the same sight. "It-it's not real... is it?" Leonard looked up to Spock, eyes full of a swarm of disbelief, shock, and hope that was nearly palpable to Spock due to their bond.

"It is," Spock affirmed, and Leonard's expression lit up immediately.

"I'm-" Leonard looked back at the photo, releasing Spock's wrist to cover his mouth, "I'm going to be a grandfather?" He let out a laugh as he looked from the photo back to Spock. He paused for a moment before grabbing Spock's hand in his own. " _We_ are going to be grandfathers?"

"Indeed," Spock let show a smile to reassure Leonard in the news. "I have spoken with Joanna and her partners, and they are due in seven months."

"Seven-! Wait, which one of them is having the child?"

"Ra'tel is. It seems his species is very similar to humans-even moreso than Vulcans, so they expect the process to go without issue."

"Half-human, huh? That sure sounds familiar," Leonard pulled up the back of Spock's hand to his lips for a kiss. "Spock... I don't know how to thank you enough for this. Really, I-"

"There is still more, Leonard."

"More?" Leonard asked bringing his free hand to comb through his hair. "I don't know if my heart could handle much more, but go on."

"In addition to Joanna and her partners having a child, they will be relocating from their current living establishment on Denali IV," Spock saw Leonard's breath hitch, "to here, on Earth."

Leonard was stunned silent.

"They wish to see us," Spock continued, "To see _you_ , Leonard."

Tears started to fall on Leonard's unmoving face, and Spock had to move his hand to break the doctor from his shock. Leonard blinked and snapped out of his state, his free hand coming up to wipe his face, which seemed to do little for new tears had already started to replace them.

"Leonard..." Spock did not prepare any tissues, but luckily the doctor had brought some napkins out with their meal. Spock retrieved one from the tray and handed it to him, which he used to wipe his face and save the sleeve of his robe from further dampening.

It did not appear that Leonard would calm down for some time, so Spock simply adjusted himself so that he could pull Leonard close, wrapping his arms around him in a tranquil embrace. Spock gently threaded his fingers through his partner's hair, and with his other hand he traced calming circles into Leonard's back. He let him sob into his shoulder until his breathing was somewhat regulated. Then, Spock picked up the fallen blue ribbon and placed it atop Leonard's head, granting Spock a chuckle.

"I'm quite the mess right now, aren't I?" Leonard asked as he sniffed and reached up to touch the ribbon that dangled in front of his vision.

"Indeed, you are not precisely the epitome of composure," Spock stated, able to feel the eye roll Leonard was giving him, "however, it is to be expected in a situation such as this."

"S' why I have ya'," Leonard grinned as he peeled himself from Spock and discarded the napkin on the tray, wiping his face with a new one for good measure. "You're composed enough for both of us, meaning I can be emotional enough for both of us too. Sound fair?"

"That appears to be an adequate trade. Should I expect that you will be doing this regularly when Joanna is here?"

"I'll be blubberin' for months, especially if we have a..." Leonard chuckled at the thought, more tears threatening to spill, "A kid around. I'm a total sucker when it comes to 'em, ya' know."

"If the past is any indication, I am inclined to agree."

"And it's gonna be a full house too," Leonard took in the room they were in. "You, me, Joanna, Ra'tel, Kerda, the baby, Jim-"

"Jim?" Spock inquired.

"C'mon, you know once Jim gets word, he's gonna be over every chance he gets," Leonard smiled, "We are his family, after all."

Spock considered it and found the doctor's deduction viable. He followed Leonard's sudden line of sight to the staircase beside them.

"Finally gonna be able to fill all those empty rooms, huh?"

This time Spock was able to catch Leonard's tears with another napkin, ready to pull him close again if needed. Instead, Leonard removed Spock's hand from his face so he could take in Spock more clearly.

Spock shook his head. "Humans really are such emotional beings."

"Oh?" Leonard hummed, "So are Vulcans. We just show it better, and know how to get you to show it too. Like this," Leonard adjusted their hands so that the tips of their pointer and middle fingers were touching in a buzz of sparks, mirroring one another. "And this," He continued as he dropped the napkin to do the same with the other hand, their nerves like hotwires as they pressed their hands closer.

"If I may employ a tactic of my own as well," Spock responded, hands buzzing under Leonard's touch. "I know this to be effective in quieting certain _illogical_ humans," Spock stated as he leaned forward, instigating the human form of a kiss, still connected in their Vulcan ones.

"Illogical, huh?" Leonard smiled as they pulled their lips apart, "Haven't heard that one in awhile."

Spock's eyes lingered on his partner's, seeing the familiar playful dance in the man's eyes. "I have decided to reserve it for special occasions, such as today."

Leonard grinned further as he leaned into another kiss from him. "Taluhk nash-veh k'dular, Spock," Leonard spoke against his partner's lips.

"And I love you, Leonard."

As their lips met again, Spock found in their shared thoughts a single phrase:

 _Happy Anniversary._


End file.
